Article holder for electroplating articles



June 21, 1966 J. c. COTTOM 3,257,308

ARTICLE HOLDER FOR ELECTROPLATING ARTICLES Filed July 11, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet l June 21, 1966 I J. c. COTTOM 3,257,308

ARTICLE HOLDER FOR ELECTROPLATING ARTICLES Filed July 11, 1961 f 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 3 29a, H :7 n 1! I? \j 2 lb 2 23 .6 [a I 1a ,7 (J UM 4 Illlllllll g mm '1-.||||r .qlA Y mum? i i 22 [[12:11]! 11!;

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June 21, 1966 J. c. COTTOM 3,257,308

ARTICLE HOLDER FOR ELECTROPLATING ARTICLES Filed July 11, 1961 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ll F/g. 5 7 28 I2 I ll (7' I? l7 m, 3, I I 5 1 29 v i I 69' /NVENTgf4 y I I 4 TOP EV United States Patent Office 3,257,308 Patented June 21, 1966 3,257,308 ARTICLE HOLDER FOR ELECTROPLATING ARTIGLES Joseph C. Cottom, Indianapolis, Ind, assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, a corporation of New York Filed July 11, 1961, Ser. No. 123,300 7 Claims. '(Cl. 204297) This invention relates to article holders for electroplating articles, and more particularly to article holders for masking electrode elements engageable with the artiand then to suspend the holder in an electrolytic bath.

In this operation, the electrodes and the articles are exposed substantially in their entirety to the bath and are plated with material over substantially the entire surfaces thereof. As there generally is no need for plating the electrodes, this procedure is undesirable since it wastes plating material. In this regard, to recover the material plated onto the electrodes it is necessary to subject the electrodes to a deplating operation, which is relatively time consuming and which makes the holder unavailable for article plating operations. Further, this procedure also wastes plating material where only small portions of the articles need to be plated, and is especially undesirable from a cost standpoint where the plating material is a relatively expensive material such as gold.

Accordingly, a further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved article holder for electroplating articles wherein the amount of plating material required in an electroplating operation is substantially reduced.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved article holder for electroplating articles wherein the necessity for deplating electrode elements is substantially eliminated.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved article holder for electroplating articles semble and disassemble, for the placing of articles-therein, and for the removing of articles therefrom.

In accordance with the invention, an article plating holder including an electrode element for contacting an article and connecting the article to an electrical source, is designed so that the electrode element is shielded or masked during an electroplating operation to prevent the electroplating thereof.

'In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the article holder includes a plurality of electrode elements and accommodate-s a plurality of articles simultaneously. The electrode elements extend adjacent recesses for receiving the articles, the recesses being formed in a pad of resilient compressible material and a rigid plate ofa suitable nonconducting material positionable adjacent the pad. The recesses include surface portions for masking or shielding certain portions of the articles whereby only selected portions of the articles are plated. Clamping members are provided for clamping the pad and rigid plate together as a unit and for applying compressive force thereto to press the electrode elements into firm electrical contact with the articles.

This invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the fol-lowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an article holder constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view, partially in cross-section, of the article holder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing, in disassembled relationship, certain parts of the article holder and an article to be plated;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but showing a modified form of article holder;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the article holder of FIG. 5 showing, in disassembled relationship, certain of the parts thereof and an article to be plated; and

form fluid-tight seals.

FIG. 7 is a front view, partially broken away, of the modified form of article holder shown in FIG. 5.

As is best shown in FIGS. 3-6, the illustrated embodiments of the invention are designed for holding articles 11 to be electroplated, and more specifically are designed to mask or shield portions 11a of an article, while permitting material to be plated on surface portions 11b of the article. Further, each of the illustrated embodiments of the invention is designed substantially to preclude the plating of material on electrode elements 12 (FIGS. 3 and 4) or electrode elements 12' (FIGS. 5 and 6) thereof. It is to be understood that these embodiments are solely for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, and that the principles of the invention are not limited to the specific arrangements shown, but may be used in other arrangements as may readily be devised by those skilled in the art.

The article holder or plating rack illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 includes a pad 14 of a suitable resilient compressible material such as-rubber, having a plurality of rows of recesses 16 formed therein for receiving lower portions of the articles 11. A rigid front or top plate 17 of a suitable non-conducting heat resistant material, as for example a synthetic plastic such as methyl-methacrylate, is positionable adjacent the rubber pad 14 in substantially complementary engagement therewith, and includes a pluralityof recesses 18 '(FIG. 4) each provided with a sealing'washer 19 of a suitable sealing material such as rubber cemented or otherwise suitably bonded therein. The sealing washers 19 are designed to receive upper-portions of the articles 11 when the pad 14 and the front plate 17 are in assembled relationship.

The front plate 17 includes a plurality of substantially conically shaped apertures 17a opening into therecesses 18, and each of the sealing washers 19 includes an aperture 19a, for circulating electroplating material to the surface portions 11b of the articles 11. When the front plate 17 and the pad 14 are in assembled relationship, the sealing washers 19and the walls of the recesses 16 in the pad 14 engage the surface portions 11a of the articles 11, at least along spaced imaginary annular closed lines on each article as indicated at 11:: (FIG. 4) where they Thus, the surface portions 11a enclosed between the annular closed lines are shielded or masked from the electrolytic bath and are not plated with material during an electroplating operation, even where the surface portions 11a are of a shape, as indicated by the lower tapered portions of the articles 11 in FIGS.

3 and 4, whereby they do not readily conform to the surfaces of the recesses.

As is best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the electrode elements 12 are embedded in the rubber pad 14, one pair of electrode elements being provided for each of the recesses 16 in the rubber pad with the electrode elements of each pair beinglocated on opposite sides of their corresponding recess. Each of the electrode elements 12 is substantially pointed adjacent one end thereof with the pointed end terminating just short of its corresponding recess 16 so that the pointed end normally is enclosed completely within the rubber pad 14. When compressive force is applied to the front plate 17, articles 11 and the rubber pad 14, in a manner subsequently to be described, the rubber pad 14 is compressed relative to the electrode elements 12 and the pointed ends of the electrode elements make point contact with the articles 11. Those portions of the electrode elements not con tacted by the articles are shielded or masked by the rubber pad 14 to prevent electroplating thereof. After an electroplating operation, when the compressive force is removed, the rubber pad 14 expands relative to the electrode elements 12 and the pointed ends of the electrode elements are again enclosed within the pad. Preferably, so that the pointed ends of the electrode elements 12 will remain sharp over an extend-ed period of use for making proper point contact with the articles, the electrode elements are of substantially harder material than the articles 11 to be plated. For example, where the articles to be plated are of brass, the electrode elements may be made of stainless steel.

The other ends of the electrode elements 12 (opposite the pointed ends thereof) are integrally secured to an electrode plate 22. The electrode plate 22, which also may be constructed in the form of laterally spaced and vertically extending parallel electrode strips if so desired, is suitably bonded to the rubber pad 14 and to a rigid backing or lower plate 23 which, as in the case of the front plate 17, may be of a suitable non-conducting heat resistant plastic material. The lower and upper ends of the electrode plate 22 also are connected to the backing plate 23 by screws 24 and 26 (FIG. 2), the screws 24 extending through a removable non-conducting heat resistant bar 27 and a laterally projecting end portion 22a of the electrode plate. The screws 25, which extend through another laterally projecting end portion 22a of the electrode plate for connecting the electrode plate to the backing plate23, also connect a support hanger 28 of a suitable electrically conducting material such as copper to the rigid backing plate 23 and in electrical contact with the electrode plate 22. The upper end of the support hanger 28 is provided with a pair of book portions 280 (FIGS. 1 and 2) for suspending the article holder or plating rack in an electrolytic bath during an electroplating operation, and for connecting the electrode plate 22 and the electrode elements 12 integral therewith, and thus the articles 11 contacted by the electrode elements, to an electrical source (not shown).

Referring to FIGS.1-3, after the articles 11 have been positioned in the recesses 16 in the pad 14 for an electroplating operation, the front plate 17 is positioned adjacent the pad 14 and clamped to the assembly comprising the pad 14, the electrode plate 22, rigid backing plate 23 and support hanger 28, by a pair of channelshaped clamping members 29. The clamping members 29, as in the case of the rigid plates 17 and 23, are of a suitable non-conducting heat-resistant material, and include a pair of laterally projecting leg portions 29a and an intermediate portion connecting the legs, with the spacing of the leg portions 29a being slightly less than the combined thicknesses of the rigid plates 17 and 23, electrode plate 22, and the rubber pad 14. Thus, by applying compressive force on opposite sides of the plates 17 and 23 in any suitable manner to compress the rubber pad 14, and then placing the leg portions of the clamping members in position on opposite sides of the plates 17 and 23 as illustrated in FIG. 3, the various parts of the article holder can be held in assembled relationship with the pointed ends of the electrode elements 12 in point contact with the articles 11 as has been described hereinabove.

The assembled article holder or plating rack now can be suspended by the hook portions 28a of the support hanger 28 in an electrolytic bath with the hook portions in suitable electrical contact with the above-mentioned electrical source, and the surface portions 11b of the articles can be electroplated with the portions 11a of the articles being shielded from the electrolytic bath by the rubber washers 19 and the walls of the recesses 16, and the electrode elements 12 being shielded by the rubber pad 14, all as set forth hereinabove. After the articles have been electroplated the clamping members 29 and front plate 17 are removed, the electroplated articles 11 are removed from the recesses 16 in the pad 14, and a new set of articles can be placed in the article holder for a subsequent electroplating operation.

Referring to FIGS. 5-7, it is seen that the embo'diment of the invention illustrated therein includes the above-mentioned electrode elements 12', and as in the case of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. l-4, further includes a rigid front or top plate 17, a rigid backing or lower plate 23, and a pair of channel shaped clamping members 29.

The electrode elements 12 are in the form of laterally spaced and vertically extending strips of brass or other suitable electrically conducting material, bonded to a pad 14' of a suitable resilient compressible material such as rubber, and extending adjacent rows of recesses 16' in the pad 14' for receiving lower portions of the articles 11. The electrode elements 12' include laterally projecting end portions (not shown) corresponding to the laterally projecting portions 22a (FIG. 2) of the electrode plate 22 in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, and are connected to the rigid backing plate 23' and an electrically conducting support hanger (not shown) by suitable screws 24' (FIG. 7) passed through the end portions, in the same manner that the electrode plate 22 is connected to the rigid backing plate 23 and the support hanger 28 by the screws 24 and 26 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Preferably, the electrode elements 12' are relatively thin and flexible so as to be readily deformable for a purpose subsequently to be described; for example, the thickness of the electrode strips may be on the order of three thousandths (.003) of an inch.

The rigid front plate 17' is provided with rows of recesses 18' for receiving upper portions of the articles 11 when the front plate 17 and the rubber pad 14' are in assembled relationship (FIG. 5). The pad 14 is supported on vertically extending strips 31, preferably of a suitable compressible material such as rubber, and is suitably bonded thereto. The rubber strips 31 are laterally spaced apart to form vertically extending troughs 32 and are suitably bonded to the backing plate 23'.

Electroplating material is circulated to the surface portions 11b of the articles 11 in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 through substantially conical apertures 17a in the front plate 17' and apertures 33 in the rubber pad 14. In this connection, the apertures 33 open into the troughs 32 so that the electrolytic bath freely circulates through the apertures 17a and 33, the troughs 32, and around the surface portions 11b to be plated, thus helping to insure uniform plating thereof. The surface portions 11a of the articles 11 are shielded or masked by the walls of the recesses 16' of the rubber pad 14' and of the-recesses 18' in the front plate 17' which form substantially fluid-tight seals along the lines (FIGS. 6 and 7), in substantially the same manner as described hereinabove with regard to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4.

been positioned in the recesses 16' of the rubber pad 14', the front plate 17 is positioned adjacent the rubber pad 14' and a compressive force is applied to opposite sides of the plates 17' and 23' whereby the clamping members 29 can be placed in clamping position. The application of this compressive force causes the rubber strips 31, rubber pad 14' and the relatively thin electrode strips 12 to be deflected slightly by the articles 11 to bring a substantially smooth planar surface 17b of the front plate 17 into substantiallycomplementary engagement with those portions of the electrode elements 12' not contact ing the articles 11, with the possible exception of certain portions of the electrodes closely adjacent the articles, thereby to prevent electroplating of the electrode elements. This also forces the electrode elements into firm electrical contact with the articles 11, The assembled article holder or plating rack then is suspended in an electrolytic bath in the same manner as described hereinabove with regard to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. When. the clamping members 29 and front plate 17' subsequently arelremoved, the relatively thin electrode elements 12' allow the rubber strips 31 and rubber pad 14 to expand and to move the deflected portions of the electrode elements back to the positions shown in FIG. 6.

While the recesses 18' in the front plate 17' are shown without sealing washers corresponding to the rubber sealing washers 19 in FIGS. 1-4, it is apparent that the recesses 18 readily could be provided with such sealing washers if so desired. These washers would be desirable where a relatively more efficient masking of the surfaces 11a of the articles 11 is required than would be provided by the rigid surfaces of the front plate 17'. Further, these washers, being compressible, would facilitate the foreing of the planar surface 17b of the front plate 17' into masking relationship with the electrode elements 12 by the clamping members 29'. Further, it is apparent that the surface 17b of the front plate .17 for masking the electrode elements 12', could be provided with a suitable sealing material if so desired.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the electrode elements 12 (FIGS. l-4) and the electrode elements 12 (FIGS. 57) are substantially masked or shielded during an electroplating operation by the rubber pad 14 (FIGS. 14) and the front plate 17 (FIGS. 5-7) to prevent electroplating thereof. Further, the rubber pads 14 and 14 cooperate with their corresponding rigid front plates 17 and 17 to shield the surface portions 11a of the articles whereby only selected portions 11b of the articles 11 are electroplated. Therefore, the amount of plating material required in an electroplating operation is substantially reduced, and the need for deplating of the electrode elements is substantially eliminated. tion, the structure comprising a rigid backing plate, a rubber pad, and electrode elements constructed as an integral unit, together with a rigid front plate and a pair of channel shaped clamping members for clamping the front plate to this structure, provides an article holder which is relatively simple in construction and relatively simple to assemble for placing the articles in the article holder for a plating operation, and to disassemble for removing the articles from the holder after a plating operation.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been disclosed many modifications will be apparent, and it is intended that the invention be interpreted as including all modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: v

1. An article holder for electroplating articles, which comprises a pad of resilient compressible material, an electrode element embedded in said pad and having an end normally enclosed within said pad and terminating a slight distance from a surface thereof when said pad is in a relatively expanded condition, and means for forcing In addi-- an article against said surface of said pad and compressing said pad relative to the end of said electrode element whereby the end makes contact with the article, said pad masking the portions of said electrode element not contacted by the article to prevent electroplating of said portions. l

2. An article holder for electroplating articles, which comprises a pad of resilient compressible material including a recess for receiving an article, the recess including means for masking portions of the article whereby other selected portions of the article may be plated, an electrode element embedded in said pad and having a substantially pointed end normally enclosed within said pad and terminating a slight distance from the recess when said pad is in a relatively expanded condition, and means for applying compressive force to said pad and an article in the recess to compress said pad relative to the pointed end of said electrode element whereby the pointed end makes point contact with the article, said pad masking the portions of said electrode element not contacted by the article to prevent electroplating of said portions.

3. An article holder for electroplating articles, which comprises a pad of resilient compressible material, a rigid member of non-conducting material positioned adjacent said pad, said pad and said rigid member including means defining a recess for receiving an article, said rigid member including an aperture opening into the recess for circulating electroplating material thereto and the recess including means for masking portions of the article whereby other selected portions of the article may be plated, an electrode element embedded in said pad and having a substantially pointed end normally enclosed within said pad and terminating a slight distance from the recess when said pad is in a relatively expanded condition, and means for applying compressive force to said rigid member and said pad to compress said pad relative to the pointed end of said electrode element whereby the pointed end of said electrode element makes point contact with an article in the recess, said pad masking the port-ions of said electrode element not contacted by the article to prevent electroplating of said portions.

4. An article holder for electroplating articles, which comprises a pad of resilient compressible material, a rigid member of non-conducting material positioned adjacent one side ofsaid pad, said pad and said rigid member including means defining recesses for receiving articles, said rigid member including apertures opening into the recesses for circulating electroplating material thereto and the recesses including means for masking portions of the articles whereby other selected portions of the articles may be plated, electrode elements embedded in said pad and each having a substantially pointed end normally enclosed within said pad and terminating a slight distance from a corresponding one of the recesses when said pad is in a relatively expanded condition, electrically conducting means on the other side of said pad connecting the other ends of said electrode elements, another rigid member of non-conducting material adjacent the other side of said pad shielding said electrically conducting means, and means for applying compressive force to said rigid members and said pad to compress said pad relative to the pointed ends of said electrode elements whereby the pointed ends of said electrode elements make point contact with articles in the recesses, said pad masking the portions of said electrode elements not contacted by the articles to prevent electroplating of said portions.

5. An article holder for electroplating articles, which comprises a pad of resilient compressible material, a rigid member of non-conducting material positioned adjacent one side of said pad, said pad and said rigid member each including recesses opposed to one another for receiving articles when said member and said pad are in assembled position, sealing members in the recesses of said rigid member, said rigid member and said sealing members including apertures therein for circulating electroplating material to the recesses, and said sealing members and the recesses in said pad including means for masking portions of the articles whereby other selected portions of the articles may be plated, electrode elements embedded in said pad and each having a substantially pointed end normally enclosed within said pad and terminating a slight distance from a corresponding one of the recesses in said pad when said pad is in a relatively expanded condition, another rigid member of non-conducting materal on the other side of said pad, and means for applying compressive force to said rigid members and said pad to compress said pad relative to the pointed ends of said electrode elements whereby the pointed ends make point contact with articles in the recesses, said pad masking the portions of said electrode elements not contacted by the articles to prevent electroplating of said portions.

6. An article holder for electroplating articles, which comprises a rubber pad, a rigid plate of non-conducting substantially heat resistant material received against one side of said pad in substantially complementary engagement therewith, said pad and said rigid plate each including recesses opposed to one another for receiving articles to be plated when said plate and said pad are in assembled position, sealing members in the recesses of said rigid plate, said rigid plate and said sealing members including apertures therein for circulating electroplating material to the recesses, and said sealing members and the recesses in said pad including masking means for forming substantially fluid-tight seals along spaced closed imaginary lines on each of the articles whereby a surface portion of each article between the respective lines thereof is shielded to prevent the electroplating of the surface portion regardless of whether the surface portion closely conforms to surfaces of the sealing members and the recesses, elongated electrode elements embedded in said pad and each having a substantially pointed end normally enclosed within said pad and terminating a slight distance from a. respective one of the recesses in said pad when said pad is in a relatively expanded condition, electrically conducting means connecting the other ends of said electrode elements, another rigid plate of non-conducting substantially heat resistant material adjacent the other side of said pad, a hook-shaped support hanger of electrically conducting material connected to said other rigid plate and electrically connected to said electrically conducting means, and channel shaped clamping members of nonconducting substantially heat resistant material each including a pair of spaced parallel legs and a portion connecting said legs, the legs of said clamping members being received against opposite sides of said rigid plates to clamp said rigid plates and said pad together as a unit and to compress said pad relative to the pointed ends of said electrode elements whereby the pointed ends make point contact with articles in the recesses, said pad masking the portions of said electrode elements not contacted by the articles to prevent electroplating of said portions.

7. A holder capable of being readily opened and closed for holding an article to be electroplated in part by immersing the article and at least a portion of the holder in an electrolyte, the article having an interior wall which is to be electroplated and which defines an aperture extending-through the article, which holder when in closed condition with the article therein comprises means for effecting a seal along a closed line on one surface of the article and surrounding one end of the aperture, means for effecting a seal along a closed line on another surface of the article and surrounding the other end of the aperture, means interconnecting the two said sealing means to shield the outer surface of the article intermediate the two closed lines from the electrolyte, said interconnecting means including a pad of resilient compressible nonconducting material, an electric contact embedded within said pad of said interconnecting means and having an end normally enclosed within said pad and terminating a slight distance from a surface thereof when said pad is in a relatively expanded condition, and means forcing the article against said surface of said pad and compressing said pad relative to the end of said electric contact such that the end protrudes through said surface of said pad and makes contact with the shielded outer surface of the article intermediate the two closed lines, said pad masking said electric contact to prevent electro plating thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,073,679 3/1937 Brown et al 204-297 2,362,228 11/1944 Wright 204-297 2,401,415 6/1946 Duggan 204297 2,703,870 3/1955 Minto 339-94 2,721,839 10/1955 Taylor 204297 2,858,518 10/1958 Chrystie et al 339-96 JOHN H. MACK, Primary Examiner.

D. R. JORDAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ARTICLE HOLDER FOR ELECTROPLATING ARTICLES, WHICH COMPRISES A PAD OF RESILIENT COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL, AN ELECTRODE ELEMENT EMBEDDED IN SAID PAD AND HAVING AN END NORMALLY ENCLOSED WITHIN SAID PAD AND TERMINATING A SLIGHT DISTANCE FROM A SURFACE THEREOF WHEN SAID PAD IS IN A RELATIVELY EXPANDED CONDITION, AND EANS FOR FORCING AN ARTICLE AGAINST SAID SURFACE OF SAID PAD AND COMPRESSING SAID PAD RELATIVE TO THE END OF SAID ELECTRODE ELEMENT WHEREBY THE END MAKES CONTACT WITH THE ARTICLE, SAID PAD MASKING THE PORTIONS OF SAID ELECTRODE ELEMENT NOT CON- 